The strategy aims to:

• undertake a process of research, benchmarking and data and information collection to give a clear picture of the current state of the Shire’s spaces;
• develop a clear vision that ensures Strathbogie Shire’s playgrounds and open spaces offer a broad range of high quality, safe, fun and creative play and recreation opportunities for different age groups, genders and abilities across the Shire;
• identify the levels of service for all playgrounds and the gaps of required facilities at each level for future upgrade and development;
• improve the design and management of all playgrounds and open spaces throughout the Shire to ensure compliance with Australian Standards and provide play value, accessibility and sustainability;
• develop a comprehensive action and implementation plan for the staged upgrade of existing playgrounds and open spaces, decommission of existing playgrounds, and design and construction of new playgrounds;
• provide guidelines on designing and maintaining playgrounds and open spaces ensuring consistency and compliance.

A broad group of people selected from across Strathbogie Shire, with different viewpoints and backgrounds, came together to create a vision for the future direction of our Shire, outlined in the 2021-2025 Council Plan.

The vision outlines community aspirations and priorities to guide the Council’s four year plan with a view towards 2040. The Playground and Open Space Strategy fits within and assists Council’s aspirations and priorities: ‘people and places are connected’ and ‘communities are filled with happy, healthy people’ .

Due to the absence of a well-documented playground and open space strategy prior and the ages of current play equipment, most of them are not compliant with Australian Standards.

Strathbogie Shire Council is committed to providing playgrounds and open spaces to enhance the health and wellbeing and social connectedness of our community.

It is something we have consistently heard from our community via the Pitch My Project submission process which takes place annually during the development of Council’s budget.

This strategy includes background research and analysis in understanding the strategic context, current conditions and limitations, current gaps for playgrounds and open spaces and compliance issues of existing play equipment.

Site inspections were carried out at 38 sites including 17 playgrounds, three skateparks, five exercise stations, and 13 other types of open spaces.

Assessment criteria included the available services provided, the play auditing items, environmental conditions including wind and solar, accessibility at the time of inspection, and installation dates of play, skate and exercise equipment.

The Playground and Open Space Strategy 2023 provides strategic direction on the future provision and upgrade of playgrounds and open spaces across Strathbogie Shire over the next 10 years.

It is integrally linked with, and supports, other Council plans and strategies.

The strategy also:

• includes the visions and goals established in locality and parks and reserves specific plans and reviews such as Seven Creeks Master Plan (Draft 2022) and Strathbogie Shire Urban Green Infrastructure Review 2019;
• reflects the communities’ directions identified for community recreational areas, public spaces and playgrounds in Avenel Community Plan 2022-2026, Euroa Community Action Group 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, Graytown Community Plan 2021-2025, Draft Longwood Master Plan 2022, Nagambie Community Plan 2017 – 2021, Ruffy Community Action Plan 2018- 2022, Strathbogie Tableland Community Action Plan 2019 - 2023;
• reviews the completion level of the required rectification works in the play spaces including playgrounds, skateparks and exercise stations detailed in Strathbogie Shire Playground Audits 2021 and includes the remaining required works in the 10-year plan;
• considers future residential development areas in access and network analysis ensuring equitable coverage of playgrounds and public spaces at each service level.